The renewed search for human remains around the World Trade Center site is so massive, the city plans to hire several additional forensics experts more than five years after the 9/11 attacks. Up to 10 forensic anthropologists will join the effort to find remains of September 11 victims, a project that could stretch well into next year, Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler said Wednesday. "We will make sure we have the appropriate resources to do this job," said Skyler, who is overseeing the recovery. "The mayor's orders were very clear: 'Do what needs to be done."' Meanwhile, the families of September 11 victims planned to rally at ground zero on Thursday to call for federal intervention, a greater expansion of the remains search and a more clearly defined organization of the effort."Hiring extra anthropologists is a recognition that they realize the job they have to do," said Charles Wolf, whose wife was killed on September 11. "But doing the job and doing it right are two different matters. ... http://www.cnn.com

Syria has denied White House claims that, together with Iran and Hezbollah, it is planning to try to topple the Lebanese government. The "rumours" spread by the US were wrong, the foreign ministry said. A Syrian government newspaper described the comments as "pure vilification". The US believes Syria may be aiming to block a tribunal over the killing of Lebanese ex-PM Rafik Hariri, in which Syria has been implicated. On Wednesday, White House spokesman Tony Snow said the Bush administration was "increasingly concerned" by "mounting evidence" of a plan to bring the Lebanese government down. He did not give further information, saying it was classified. Damascus rejected the claims in a foreign ministry statement....http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6109498.stm

Russian energy giant Gazprom has said it will more than double prices of gas supplies to Georgia from 2007. Gazprom said it would charge Tbilisi $230 (£121) for 1,000 cubic metres of gas, compared with the $110 cost now. Russia has often been accused of using Gazprom, a state-controlled natural gas monopoly, as a political weapon to keep its neighbours in line. Georgia's foreign minister is in Moscow for talks in an effort to defuse tensions between the two nations. Gela Bezhuashvili will take part in the first high-level talks between Georgia and Russia since a diplomatic crisis soured bilateral relations in September. Postal blockade The crisis began when Georgia, which relies heavily on Russia for exports and imports, arrested four Russian officers for alleged spying. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6108950.stm

A Virginia sheriff covered up a scheme in which a dozen of his deputies sold seized guns and drugs to the public, a federal indictment alleges. The indictment names Henry County Sheriff Harold Franklin Cassell, known locally as "Frank," and 17 others. They were taken into custody on Thursday morning, the Drug Enforcement Administration said in a statement. "It is disgraceful corruption," said U.S. Attorney John L. Brownlee. "These were drugs and guns that were seized as part of their law enforcement duties that were then stolen from the property room and put back out on the streets." Brownlee added, "You have law enforcement (officers) risking their lives to take these guns off the streets and then a very few members of law enforcement putting them right back out there." ...http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/11/02/sheriff.indicted/index.html?eref=rss_us

Police found the bodies of three adults inside a drainage pipe near a public housing complex early Thursday and said all appear to have been killed during the night.It wasn't clear where they died or how, Columbia Police Chief Dean Crisp said. The age and gender of the victims and further details were not released.Richland County Coroner Gary Watts said authorities initially had difficulty reaching the bodies. By midmorning, the bodies had been removed from the pipe, which is larger than 3 feet in diameter, and were being taken to the coroner's office for identification, Crisp said."When you find a crime like this, it's clearly out of the ordinary," Crisp said.Authorities had no suspects, he said.A resident of the apartment complex reported seeing the bodies around 5 a.m., police Sgt. Florence McCants said. Police also received a call about gunshots in the area, but Crisp was unsure if it was related....http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/11/02/bodies.ditch.ap/index.html?eref=rss_us

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards test-fired dozen of missiles, including the long-range Shahab-3, during the first hours of new military maneuvers, Iranian state-run television said Thursday.The report said several kinds of short-range missiles were also fired in a central desert area of Iran during the maneuvers, which came two days after U.S.-led warships finished an exercise in the Gulf that Tehran described as "adventurist.""We want to show our deterrent and defensive power to trans-regional enemies, and we hope they will understand the message of the maneuvers," said the head of the Revolutionary Guards, Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi, in an apparent reference to the US and other western powers.The general said the 10-day maneuvers, named "Great Prophet," would take place in the Gulf, the Sea of Oman and several provinces of the country. He did not specify how many troops were involved....http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/02/africa/ME_GEN_Iran_Missile_Test.php